My Family History

1.10.13

Isobel MacRae was the daughter of Farquhar MacRa - Ferachar Ban or Fair Farquhar- of Fadoch, Kintail in Scotland, and his wife Mary.
Isobel married Duncan MacRae, Donnachad Mor, Tacksman of Conchra, Lochalsh, according to a paper The Royal Descent of Certain Families of the Clan MacRae, which I believe was given to Annie Chamberlen, nee McRae, when she visited Scotland around 1906.
They had a large family, of whom ten have been recorded, including Duncan, Flora and Hector, who emigrated to Van Diemens Land in 1830.
Mary, born circa 1793, married Donald Matheson in Plockton about 1816. Her husband died in 1828 and she later emigrated to VDL with her children. She died at Broadford in Victoria in 1878.
Alexander was a doctor, possibly in the East India Company.Christina married Duncan Finlayson, a shipowner, as were her sons.
Margaret married McDonnell and kept a store in Plockton.
Farquhar drowned at Auchnahinnish with no descendants.
Catherine married Dugald [?] Matheson of Liverpool who was in charge of a brewery on the Ilse of Man in 1852.
Christopher went to Canada with his mother and brothers, Duncan and Hector. He married Nancy and it seems that they may have stayed there, when their brothers returned to Scotland around 1829.
Flora, born c 1800, married Roderick McKenzie when she was 20 years old. They emigrated to VDL with their children, her brothers Duncan and Hector, and his brother, Alexander McKenzie in 1830. The McKenzies later took up land in Victoria, near Broadford.

15.6.13

According to his daughter's death certificate in 1856, Frances Keswick's father David was Captain RA. She was born in Whitehaven, Cumberland in 1792 and her mother's name was Mary.
As she had come to Australia in 1828 as the wife of a convict, and on a female convict transport, it is possible that her father's occupation may have been an invention to cover the true story. We look forward to perhaps finding more about him some day.

12.6.12

It appears that Richard Ford was one of four brothers from Findon in Sussex who were involved with smuggling.When his brothers died in 1768, Robert, who was married but childless left his nephew Robert and niece Frances 1000 and 35 pounds respectively.

Jemima Saxby seems to have been born in Norfolk around 1781. She was baptised at Newton Flotman according to another descendant, her parents being Philip Saxby and Ann Mitchell. She married Thomas Fincher at St Andrews, Holborn, in London in February 1800. They had about 8 children, with my ancestor Ruth being born about midway in 1812.Pigots Directory in 1839 lists her as a Shopkeeper at 2 Globe Terrace, Lower Road, Islington. She died in 1860, leaving a will.

11.11.11

Remembering those relatives [siblings of my grandparents] who served in the Great War 1914-18.Walter Patterson, second son and third child of Walter and Louie Patterson. Born 1893 and lost at Mouquet Farm in the first week of September 1916, he left a fiancee, Julia Henley of Gardner's Bay, to mourn him. Harry Clark 1883-. Second son of Alexander and Elizabeth Clark. Lucky to survive when a bullet hit a cigarette tin in his chest pocket.Alf Clark 1890-1966. Sixth son and my grandmother's twin brother. Wounded.George Clark 1893-1935. Youngest son. He got a bullet in his lungs and died of TB.Claude Cawthorn 1888-1975, youngest son of John Henry and Martha Cawthorn, survived and took over his parents' farm at Upper Wattle Grove.Duncan McRae 1892-1959, second son of Hector and Fanny McRae. Shot in the spine at Gallipoli, the day after the landing, he hauled himself around on sticks and became a noted yachtsman.
His cousin Jack Cook, who transferred to the British army, was awarded a Military Cross in September 1916, and was killed at Cortrai in Belgium in October 1918. He was the only son of Fanny's sister, Clara.

17.7.11

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames (Revised Edition), the surname originated at Springham Farm, Hellingly, Sussex.

Robert and Mary Springham appear to have married circa 1760 and had three sons and a daughter between 1764 and 1771. They were living at the old artillery ground when their daughter Mary was christened at St Leonards, Shoreditch in 1768. In 1786, the Old Bailey records show that Mary's mother was living at Baker's Row, Whitechapel. It also mentions that she had breakfast at her brother's. There was no mention of her father.

About this blog

This blog is an online record of my Tasmanian ancestors. Please contact me if you have a common interest in any of these people.Your comments are welcome and are forwarded to me automatically or you can contact me at steels08@gmail.com

As with a pedigree chart,I have started with myself and will work back.

This column provides links to the surnames, generations, places they lived, convicts and ships they came in.